Improvement in metallic seals



E. J. BROOKS. Metallic-Seal.

10.209,008. Patented oct.15,1s7s.

f REMARKS.

W/ TA/ESSES.- 7^/ VEN T09: V law Lamb @www UNITED STATES PATENT GEEIoEIEDVARD J. BROOKS,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.'

IMPROVEMENT IN METALLIC SEALS.

Spccilicaiion forming part of Letters Patent No. 209,00, dated October15, 1873; a'pyilication Ilcd October l, 1878;

To all 'whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, EDWARD J BRooKs, of the city and county of New York,in the State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement inMetallic Sea-ls, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactspecification.

My present invention relates to the combination of a labeling-tag with ametallic seal, such as a cording-sea-l, the objects being to readilyattach the former in the act of pressing the seal, and so as to supportthe tag in the most 'secure and convenient manner, and so as topermanently attach the pressed sealdisk thereto for future reference.

Heretofore the only method of attaching such a tag has been to pass theshackle through a hole or eyelet in the tag before applying theseal-disk. The tag thus attached was in the way during thc pressingoperation. It could not be readily examined, owing to the angle at whichit was unavoidably held, and it was not adapted to form a permanentrecord in combination with the seal, the seal in such examples beingdetached in the act of severing the shackle.

My said invention consists in a soft-metal seal-disk having` one or moreprojecting studs, and adapted to receive a shackle of any preferredform, in combination with an eyelet or its equivale-nt in alabeling-tag, for attaching the latter in the manner and for the objectsabove stated, as hereinafter more fully set forth. v

Figure l of the accompanying drawings is a face view of the separatedparts of a combined cording-seal and tag, illustrating this inven'-tion. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the seal-disk ofthe saine; and Figs. 3and 4 are front and rear views of the said seal and tag after theseal-disk has been pressed. Fig. 5 is a face or back view, and Fig. 6 anedge view, of an unpressed seal-disk, illustrating a modification. Fig.7 is a face .or back View, and Fig. S an edge view, of another unpressedsealdisk, illustrating another modication. Fig. 9 is a face view, andFiO. 10 a central longitudinal section, of another pressed seal,illustrating the application of thc invention to ilat shackles.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

The combined cording-seal and tag, illustrated by Figs. l, 2, 3, and 4,consists of a shackle, S, of cord or twine, a metallic sealdisk, D,which may be of lead, copper, or a soft alloy, adapted to be fastenedupon the former, and to receive an imprint in a handpress, and alabeling-tag, T, which may bc of paper or any preferred material.

The separated parts of the unpressed sca-l, as represented in Figs. land 2, show their individual construction. The shackle S, which issimply illustrative, is a plain piece of cord or twine of proper length.

The seal-disk D is molded with ordinary threading-apertures a a,parallel to its face, and with a cut-away back, b, to equalize thethickness of metal therein, and with a stud, c, projecting at rightangles from its fiat face, this stud being notched or grooved at itsbase to form a shoulder, d. Said stud c, without limitation to its shapeor shoulder, and the said threading-apertures' a., or their equivalent,are the only essential features of this construction.

The tag T has an ordinar i metallic eyelet, c, at its upper end, formingan aperture which is adapted to receive said stud c, and the informationwhich said tag is designed to impart and preserve is in part printedthereon, including a number, f, for the seal. rllhe said printed matterwill vary with the use for which thev seal is designed, and is not anessential feature.

As another lprovision for preventing duplication or counterfeiting andfor distinguishing the tags of different companies, which is the primaryobject of such printed matter, I propose the use of a tint orcombination of tints, or lathe-work engraving, or the like, printed orotherwise applied to the tags, as a part of the process of manufacture.

In the illustration the tag is designed for a railway freight-car, andshows, in use, the road to which the seal belongs, the route,destination, and contents of the car, the number of the'car, inconnection with that ofthe seal, and the places and dates of sealing andunsealing, with the si gnaturcs of the agents who performed the twooperations 5 and on the back is space for remarks, which may include thecondition of the seal when the shackle was cut. Said tag is t-husadapted to contain all the matter for which a card, tacked or otherwiseattached to the side of the car, is commonly employed, together with aseal-number, and all the requisite information in regard to the sealingand unsealing of the car.

The shackle S is passed through the sealing staples of a car-door, forexample, and its ends are passed through the seal-disk D in ordinarymanner. The tag T is then applied, face outward, to the stud c on theface of the seal-disk, and is held back against said face by theshoulder d of said stud. The seal-v disk is now pressed in the usualmanner, or in a similar way, without any additional trouble, the diesbeing adapted to leave an impression on the pressed stud, as well as onthe more ample back of the seal. In the illustration the pressed studshows the initials of the road to which the seal belongs, together witha special mark, and the back shows the place at which the seal waspressed. If preferred, the face of the tag may be turned toward the backof the seal-disk, and the imprint need only be in one surface in somecases. In either case the tag is attached in the act of pressing theseal, and the former is supported invertical position, parallel to thesurface against which the seal hangs.

The pressed stud c, in combination with the metallic eyelet c, forms amost secure fastening, the softer metal of the former embracing Ithelatter on all sides, so as to render it practicallyinipossible to detacha tag from apressed seal without the tampering being manifest. All theparts of the pressed sea-l, including the tag which bears its number,&c., are thus permanently united, and constitute vtogether mostreliable' evidence for preservation.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate molding of one or more tag-attaching studs, c2,without shoulders, on an ordinary seal-disk, D2, for use in connectionwith a shackle, either of cord or of wire. By employing two studs, 'as.in the illustration, and locating theln opposite thethreading-apertures a2, said studs will perform the additional functionof insuring the filling of said apertures in the pressing operation.

The modification illustrated by Figs. 7 and S consists in providing theattachingstud c3 of a seal-disk, D3, with a Thead, h, which not onlyforms a shoulder, but utilizes a more secure mode of holding a tag, T2,in place preliminary to pressing, the latter (shown in dotted lines inFig. 7 being provided with an ob, long eyelet or aperture, e2, adaptedto pass over said T-head in one position and to be at an angle theretowhen the tag drops to vertical position, as shown. A stud of thisdescription may be molded on any style of sealdisk, and is intended tobe pressed in the act of sealing the shackle the same as the formsbefore described.

When flat shackles S2 of sheet metal or the like are preferred, Ipropose to pass the attaching stud or studs c of a seal-disk, D4,through apertures in the shackle ends, and then through the eyelet oreyelets of a tag, T, as illustrated by Figs. 9 and 10.

The shackle and seal-disk, either or lboth, when the latter contains thethreadingapertures, will usually be provided with locking or anchoringdevices, such as described by me in previous specifications; butthesefornl no part of the present invention.

The following is what I claim as new and of my own invention, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, namely:

Ameta'llic seal-disk adapted to be applied to a sealing-shackle, andconstructed with one or more projectin g studs, in combination with alabeling-tag having an aperture or apertures at its upper end to receivesaid stud or studs, the latter serving to attach said tag in the act ofpressing the seal, substantially as herein specified, for the purposesset forth.

E. J. BROOKS.

Vitiiesses:

Jas. L. EwIN, Isinon Gnm'nnnn.

